Review - The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies

Over the course of the passed few years, Martin Freeman's Bilbo Baggins has become one of my favourite characters throughout our journey's of Middle-Earth. Which is why I suppose I was a little disappointed that we don't get to see too much of the courageous hobbit in Peter Jackson's latest and last JRR Tolkien adaptation, The Battle Of The Five Armies.

The film starts as the previous movie (The Desolaion Of Smaug) ended, with the fiery destruction of Lake Town. Smaug, having been awoken from his timely slumber in the Lonely Mountain flies out for vengeance against the dwarves who disturbed him and the humans who aided them in their rediscovery of Erebor. The visual effects are nothing short of stupendous, the inferno that thwarts Lake Town and Smaug himself show off Peter Jackson's brilliant decision to film the trilogy at 48 frames per second. Although I will take a second to question; why is Orlando Bloom's Legolas so heavely CGI-ed? The new look of Peter Jackson's movies is impressive, but maybe pulling back slightly from the airbrush would've helped the bond between the old and the new. Nevertheless, it's the story which drives this movie forward and onto the front end of an already adored saga.

The little burglar takes a backseat and becomes somewhat of a mediatior between the dwarves, the elves, the humans, and of course Gandalf (Ian McKellen). Without having too much screen time however, Martin Freeman still manages to conjure up a witty, adorable and admirable Bilbo Baggins in what is to be his final outing.

The focus of attention shifts then to Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), the King under the mountain, as he seeks to reclaim the dwarves homeland and the abounding gold that lies within. Bard the bowman (Luke Evans) steps forward as head of the humans as he attempts to bargain with the Thorin for a share of the treasure that lies within Erebor, hoping to aid the residents of Lake Town to rebuild their fallen home. Thorin though falls ill, plagued with dragon sickness he has desire for only one thing, the Arkenstone.

Multiple plot lines run simultaneously throughout the movie as we witness the Five Armies meet at the foot of the Lonely Mountain. The yearning love-story between elf warrior Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) and dwarf Kili (Aidan Turnger) continues as their respected allegiances cross paths. Orlando Bloom's Legolas returns, and after being included in the movies without any mention of him in the original book, doesn't seem out of place and adds an exciting element to what is already an action-packed adventure. 

Having not actually read the book I cannot be too critical of Peter Jackson's devotion to the original storyline, although from what I've heard the movie includes many scenes which JRR Tolkien had never originally created. But instead of viewing this as a negative, I see these scenes as an expansion of the Middle-Earth universe. An immersive insight into the backstory of characters and a chance for viewers to enjoy their beloved Shire-folk just that little bit longer.

I went into this film with a mixed bag of emotions. Excitement for the impending return to a beloved story, and the disappointment of knowing that this would be our final adventure alongside Peter Jackson through Middle-Earth. But once again he does not fail to deliver. Epic battle scenes and a seeming-less flow through this final instalment leave you wanting to journey there and back again. 

Review - Interstellar

It seems as though Christopher Nolan movies come with a high expectancy these days, one which can only be accredited to his previous directional outings. The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception and Memento are all held in high esteem as some of the greatest blockbuster epics ever seen in 21st century cinema. And that's exactly where Interstellar should be viewed, in the cinema. I'm not saying that the film would lack its gargantuan prestige without surround sound and perfect picture quality, but that this is a movie which deserves to be seen on the big screen. 

 

With an all-star cast including recent Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club, A Time To Kill) and Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises, Les Miserables), Nolan and his brother Johnathan have written a story that enthrals and excites, but also baffles and bewilders. The storyline is complex and riddled with twists, but it is delivered in a way that come the final conclusion. Everything intertwines and leaves you with a sense of wonder. The film's script writing was supervised by Kip Thorne, a theoretical physicist, to ensure that all of the scientific inputs in the film were accurate. 

 

We start on Earth, dusty, baron and plagued with blight, an infectious disease which leaves crops and vegetation ill in its wake. Coop (McConaughey) lives on a farm with his two children and his father-in law. Coop, an ex-NASA pilot and single father, is doing his bit to get through the hard times by fixing farming machinery. McConaughey is brilliant, although his dialogue is at times inaudible due to the low-pitched drone which slips into during more intimate scenes. 

 

His daughter Murphy (Mackenzie Fox, and later Jessica Chastain) is having a tough time sleeping as she is convinced she is being haunted by a ghost; books are being knocked off her shelf and objects are being broken. Fuelled by her father’s lack of belief in the supernatural world,  Murphy sets out to investigate the strange goings-on and compiles evidence to reinforce her case. Slightly marvelled by his daughter's will and determination Coop aids Murphy with her puzzle, and together they stumble across markings on Murphy's bedroom floor, highlighted by a sandstorm which invades their home. 

 

They put the pieces together and unscramble the markings to reveal coordinates. This leads them to a restricted airbase, unaware of their unintended trespassing, they're apprehended and taken inside to be interrogated, only for Coop to be reunited with his former NASA boss, Dr. Brand (Michael Caine). The two, along with an entourage of NASA associates, discuss current affairs and Coop soon learns that Earth is in greater danger than previously imagined…extinction. Brand explains, "We're not meant to save the world, we're meant to leave it". A wormhole near one of Saturn's moons is discovered, opening a doorway into undiscovered space and contains what could be a number of inhabitable planets, and humanities next home.

 

Interstellar has the capacity to confuse an audience, but does its best to explain itself throughout. The stretching of time becomes the key twist. A fantastic yet terrifying scene sees Coop return to his craft after a couple of hours only to find that over 20 years have passed. For Coop, it means deciding on whether to see his kids again or save the entirety of the human race. 

Nolan has excelled with Interstellar, it is simply beautiful. He achieves outstanding levels of world creation and stunning special effects using his technical genius and fully utilising the technology at his disposal. A sensational score from Hans Zimmer only reinforce my previous statement, this film should be seen on the big screen. Viewers would only be robbing themselves of a crucial element of Interstellar if they choose to watch it on any other format.  

 

Despite some logical breaks in the story which could leave viewers divisive, Interstellar is an emotional and epic blockbuster which must not be missed. Another hit which the ever impressive Nolan can add to his list. 

Review - Nightcrawler

Never being a huge Jake Gyllenhaal fan, I had mixed expectations going into this movie and doubted the five-star comments on billboards I'd seen prior to the screening. But now, after watching Dan Gilroy's first directed movie, I only have good things to say about Mr Gyllenhaal. 

Gyllenhaal plays as Lou Bloom, a pale faced and bug-eyed LA lowlife who makes his way through life stealing and lying, selling whatever he can lay his hands upon and desperately throwing himself at any job opportunity that comes his way. 

Right from the offset you can tell that Gyllenhaal's character has an edge about him, an emotional detatchment that makes you feel like he wouldn't quite fit in with the wild nights and glamorous sidewalks of Los Angeles' bustling nightlife. Well spoken and overwhelmingly confident, he plays the part beautifully. Often engaging the audience with intense spiels, not once changing the unphazed look on his face. His unnerving way of talking to people and unsettling mannerisms makes you uncomfortable, and at times his blend of arrogance and slight social disposition add humour in what is otherwise a dark and twisted thriller. 

He falls upon a highway incident in which a crashed car, up in flames, is in the hands of emergency services, attempting to save an injured woman who is trapped inside. A camera crew featuring Billl Paxton (Aliens, Twister) rush to the scene and don't hesitate to grab some close ups of the driver being hauled out of the burning wreck by police. Lou becomes intrigued, and in his desperation for employment he questions the camera crew once they'd caught their footage, quizzing them on job opportunities and how well the job paid.

Sporting a handy cam and a police transmitter (gained by pawning a stolen bicycle) he starts to grab some footage of local incidents himself. The nature of being a Nightcrawler excites Lou, the invasion of people's lives and personal space never seem to phase him. His issues with emotional detachment leave him oblivious to what moral boundaries he may be crossing. Constantly pushed back by local authorities and getting beaten to the scene by rival camera crews, Gyllenhaal continues to pursue gory footage. He lives on the phrase of which Bill Paxton's character, Joe Loder, said to him at the burning car, 'If it bleeds, it leads'.  

The film is dark and dingy from the offset, it has witty moments at times, but never fails to return to the sweaty underbelly of the LA TV news industry. He gets his break after gaining some barely-legal footage from a carjacking and takes it to a local news station where the producer, Nina, played by Rene Russo (Thor and The Thomas Crown Affair) buys the footage and praises him for his work. This kickstarts two things; their relationship and Louis' desire to gain 'bloody' footage. He becomes fuelled by the stations ideal scenario, explained to him by Nina as "a screaming woman, running down the street, with her throat cut". Lou's growing ambitions see him hire an assistant, played by Riz Ahmed (Four Lions). They continue to race the emergency services to the scenes of crimes across LA, and sell the footage onto Nina. 

There's also a real message being portrayed by this film too, it suggests that the news really is dictated by what people want to see, not what people should see. The crimes effecting "rich, white people in rich neighbourhoods" paper over the real problems on the streets of the world. Homelessness and drug abuse are unnoticed by the TV's eye and instead, prime time is filled with the most shocking (gruesome) incidents out there.

The film follows Lou Bloom on his quest to becoming what he saw at the start of his crusade. A self-employed, heavily equipped TV news feeder. His car improves, his clothes improve, he acquires new transmitters and a new camera. As his thirst for footage heightens, Lou begins to edit the crime scenes himself, moving pieces of the crime into the light to gain better footage and often before emergency services arrive. The film peaks at a moment where Lou witnesses a crime in action and instead of aiding the distressed victims, one of whom he finds alive, he ruthlessly catches as much bloody footage as possible. 

Gyllenhaal shines in Nightcrawler, showing off almost narcissistic acting which I've only ever seen perfected by a few (Mathew Goode in Stoker and Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl). Russo offers a strong dynamic against Gyllenhaal and Ahmed adds humour along the way and contrasts Lou's emotional detachment. A fan of unnerving, nocturnal thrillers and brilliant twists? Watch it.